Methods for treating or preventing fatty liver disease using CTRP3

Abstract

Methods are disclosed for treating or preventing fatty liver disease using a CTRP3 polypeptide or functional variant thereof.

That which is claimed: 
     
       1. A method for treating or preventing the progression of fatty liver disease in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a C1q/TNF-related protein 3 (CTRP3) polypeptide or a functional variant thereof, wherein the CTRP3 polypeptide or functional variant thereof comprises at least 90% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 3. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CTRP3 polypeptide or functional variant thereof is a functional fragment at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the CTRP3 polypeptide or functional variant thereof is fused to an epitope tag. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the epitope tag is placed at a carboxyl-terminus of the CTRP3 polypeptide. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the epitope tag is a Flag-polypeptide tag. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fatty liver disease is selected from the group consisting of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), NASH-associated liver fibrosis, ASH-associated liver fibrosis, non-alcoholic cirrhosis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the fatty liver disease is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human.